How to Make Infallible Pies with Foolproof Crusts

If your taste buds crave a buttery, rich yet light and flakey crust, here are some tips. First, make sure your fat ingredient (butter, lard, oil etc.) is cold. This means you should use cold butter when you first mix your dough, and for good measure, throw your pie in the freezer before you bake it to make sure that the dough is cool once again when you bake it. That pro tip will guarantee a flaky crust. In addition, do not overwork your dough. Once your dough is ready to be rolled out, if you over-manipulate it or use too much flour for rolling you’ll just end up with tough dough. And nobody wants that.

Another common mistake when it comes to pie dough is jumping to the rolling step too quickly. According to Bon Appétit senior food, editor Dawn Perry, and assistant food editor, Claire Saffitz, “the dough has to be at the optimal temperature for you to roll it out—too cold and it will crack; too warm and it’ll be sticky and gummy. Expect to be moving your dough in and out of the fridge to maintain that perfect temperature.”